Consumers with a conscience are putting their money behind green business. Many of us buy hybrid cars, build green houses, recycle, and wear organic cotton clothing. We also are able to eat and drink in ways that support the health of the environment.
There are many factors to be conscious of as a consumer. Certain practices tread a great deal more lightly on the Earth's resources than others. For instance, buying organic food is estimated to use about a third less fossil fuel than conventional products, and, of course, buying local goes beyond that. Michael Pollan writes in "The Ominvore's Dillemma" that the Goodmans, founders of Earthbound Farms (one of the largest organic growers of organic fruits and vegetables), have eliminated some 270,000 pounds of pesticides and 8 million pounds of petrochemical fertilizer by converting 25,000 U.S. acres from conventional to organic growing methods.
Bottled water is estimated to be a $16 billion business this year in this country alone. Water is definitely a much better choice for our health than sodas and sugary fruit juice drinks, but it's worthwhile to go a step beyond that and think about the carbon footprint of the water, and where these plastic bottles are ending up.
Charles Fishman writes in "Water," published in Fast Company magazine (July/August 2007), that the shipping cost of Fiji water exceeds the bottling costs. We pitch 38 million water bottles a year into landfills, more than $1 billion worth of plastic. If the water we use at home cost what even cheap bottled water costs, our monthly water bills would run $9,000.
Fishman points out that in a world where 1 billion people have no reliable source of drinking water and 3,000 children a day die from diseases due to tainted water, this seems a bit careless, and most would probably agree. The best choice seems to be to install some type of water filter in your home, and refill the same bottle several times each day.
Global warming is affecting the Earth's weather patterns, and the environment. According to a report by Noam Mohr on earthsave.org/globalwarming.htm, methane is responsible for nearly as much global warming as all other non-CO2 greenhouse gases put together. The No. 1 source of methane worldwide is waste from animal agriculture, producing more than 100 million tons of methane a year. World meat consumption has increased fivefold in the past 50 years. The environmental consequences are severe.
As consumers, we have the choice to reduce this trend. Benefits of limiting or eliminating meat consumption include offering a solution to the world's hungry (70 percent of U.S. grain is fed to livestock) while saving billions of animals each year from suffering. In addition, conserving freshwater and topsoil and preserving irreplaceable ecosystems can make a difference.
Many of our practices are severely depleting resources at an alarming rate. The health of the planet affects our health and our bodies, which are, in turn, a microcosm of that planet. It helps to be conscious of the impact food choices have on our health, the precious planetary environment, the purity of our limited water supply, and the well-being of all people and animals.
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Suggested readings and resources
- "Diet for a New America" by John Robbins.
- "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan.
- "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell.
- Earthsave.org.
- Idahosbounty.org.
Contact mollypeppo@mac.com with questions or concerns.
Molly Peppo
